Belgrade, 13 November 2003 (RFE/RL) -- Serbian parliament speaker Natasa Micic today formally called a general election for 28 December. Parliamentary elections were originally scheduled for late 2004. Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic said the elections are necessary because the government is no longer able to implement reforms.

The announcement of early parliamentary elections came just three days before Serbs go to the polls this Sunday (16 November) to try to elect a new president.

Dragoljub Micunovic, a front-runner for Sunday's presidential election, said Serbs would celebrate the New Year with a new president and a new parliament. "I decided that elections will be held on 28 December, so we can celebrate the New Year with a new president and a new parliament," he said.

Two attempts to elect a new president failed last year because voter turnout did not reach the required 50 percent.